The BALSAMS hosts the first annual FLICKERS North Country Film Festival

[From the FLICKERS North Country Film Festival and The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel...]

The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel is pleased to announce that it will host the first annual FLICKERS North Country Film Festival. The non-profit festival aims to promote New Hampshire’s Great North Woods as a regional center for the arts, and is expected to bring celebrities, audiences and international filmmakers to the area. This exciting event will be held September 30 – October 3, 2010 with screenings of a variety of films in multiple locations and gala events.

The FLICKERS North Country Film Festival is in partnership with the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIF) one of the most respected in the country, and is a qualifying event for Academy Award short film submissions. 

“We are thrilled to be bringing this film festival to the North Country,” said Gary Armitage, Vice President of Sales and New Business Development at The BALSAMS. “Through this unique event, we hope to encourage cultural tourism and support area businesses. The beauty of our area is a natural draw for filmmakers and producers, and we aim to bring them here. The film festival is a first step in what we hope to grow over time, spreading the event into our local communities. Also, the date allows us to extend the tourism calendar beyond the end of the typical season and our goal is to attract visitors to experience Coös County and the North Country of New Hampshire.”

There are multiple events planned during the festival. Audiences will be treated to the world premier screening of “Indian Stream Schoolhouse,” produced by Pittsburg, NH resident Roy Amey. The “best of” winners from the August 2010 RIIF will also be screened along with the work of outstanding independent filmmakers from across the globe. As many as five films will be projected at once in areas throughout The BALSAMS, including the Ballot Room and The Switzerland of America Ballroom. Shorts, feature length films and animated films across several genres including comedy, drama, fantasy and romance, to North Country and Franco-American culture will be screened. Watch for updates and announcements at http://northcountryfilmfestival.org/index.htm.

The non-profit festival is seeking individual and corporate sponsors. Contact Gary Armitage at 603-255-2669 or garmitage@thebalsams.com for more details. 

A black-tie gala event will also be held on Saturday, October 1 to benefit the Brattleboro Retreat, a mental health and addiction treatment center that provides a wide array of services for children and adults. Its newest program for uniformed service professionals is designed for police, firefighters, correctional officers, EMTs and military personnel who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder as a consequence of their duty. The Retreat works with patients from Hollywood, CA to Hallowell, ME. (www.brattlebororetreat.org)

For more information about the first annual FLICKERS North Country Film Festival, visit http://northcountryfilmfestival.org/index.htm. The BALSAMS is pleased to be joined by Public Television of New Hampshire in supporting this first-ever event.